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Known variously as creeping phlox or moss phlox, early-flowering Phlox subulata is a familiar friend, a welcome harbinger of spring. Its cheerful five-petaled blooms blanket slopes and spill over walls.We hear you: It’s hard to even imagine spring, let alone plan for it, while the dog days are still raging, hot and humid. But this really is the time to do just that.A crop of Phlox subulata planted in late summer / early fall has oceans of time to fill its containers with vigorous roots. Sooner t

Here’s a warm-season grass to heat up interest in your selection. Native to the American prairie, Sorghastrum makes itself at home in any sunny border. Golden Sunset™ forms neat clumps of wide, olive-green blades with a graceful upright/arching habit. Full, rich golden plumes rise to an impressive, but not overwhelming, height.Developed at the world-famous Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, where the winters are long and hard – so you know it’ll handle your conditions. Hardy in USDA Zones 3 –

Andropogon gerardii, the North American native grass known as “big bluestem” is about as tough a plant as you can grow. But there’s a lot more to its story.For centuries, this genus dominated the tallgrass prairie. It’s been largely replaced there by other grasses like Zeamays and Triticumaestivum, a.k.a. corn and wheat.Andropogon has found new homes. A go-to plant for reclaiming damaged soils, it helps keep out exotic invasives. But thanks to modern breeding and selection, it’s increasingly wel

Looking for a refreshing update on a traditional “backbone” perennial? You’ve arrived early – Fashionably Early! This hybrid series lives up to its name by blooming 2 – 3 weeks sooner than the typical tall phlox. All varieties rise to a user-friendly mid-border height. The rich green slender leaves are extremely resistant to powdery mildew, the bane of tall Phlox species. Height: 28 – 32”. Hardy in Zones 4 – 8‘Fashionably Early Crystal’PP28679 Flower clusters emerge pale lavender, then mel

Even Our Soft Side is Pretty ToughWe’re proud to be your go-to source for sturdy ornamental grasses and hardy herbaceous perennials. But we also have a tender spot for tender plants. Two of our favorites have something uncommon in common:Truly red flowers! Ruellia elegans Ragin’ Cajun™ (Texas petunia)Vivid, eye-catching red red flowers, and a lot of ‘em, on a cheerful chassis of deceptively-delicate looking rich green foliage. Don’t be fooled: Ragin’ Cajun won a “FlameProof Award